Tuesday, June 07, 2005
DARIN ERSTAD IMITATES ME
(AND AN ACCOUNT OF A BASEBALL-RELATED DREAM)
"Everybody says that — football instinct. I was a punter. It wasn't like I was an actual football player."
-Darin Erstad, quoted in the LA Times
My two-part reaction to the collision:
1. I hope Johnny Estrada is okay and returns to the field soonest.
2. Julio Franco, Brian Jordan, and Eddie Perez can kiss my white ass.
Here's Julio Franco (if Steve Finley is Father Time, Franco is Grandfather Time) on the collision: "I don't mind the hit, I mind the location of the hit. Hitting a guy in the face like that could cause a lot of major damage."
This might be compelling to me if Erstad had, you know, actually hit Estrada in the face.
It's pretty clear from the replay that Erstad's going in low, but it's important to note that his trajectory is pretty much set before Estrada turns around with the ball; it just so happens that Estrada's movement takes him right into Erstad's shoulder. It sure looks to me like Erstad's shoulder hits right below Estrada's face, and it's when Estrada's head/helmet hit the ground when the real pain ensues.
Anyway, it was a clean hit, and it's part of the game, and hopefully Estrada will be in good shape. I think most major league catchers are aware of the risks of blocking the plate; they have to know that on occasion you're gonna get your bell rung. Mike Scioscia was once rendered unconscious blocking the plate, for God's sakes (and held on to the ball).
The real question: after Horacio Ramirez parks a ball in Erstad's ear in the first inning today, does The Wyrd retaliate against his former teammates? And if so, against whom? Maybe Jordan and Franco for mouthing off (Eddie Perez is on the DL right now), or maybe Erstad's best analogue on the Braves (I would say Andruw Jones). Hopefully no one will get hurt, but I have to say that I find 99% of all baseball fights to be pretty amusing. It's always a bunch of guys trying to wrestle, with maybe two or three meaningless punches thrown, and it just looks ridiculous.
***
Anyway, it was a good win last night. But let me tell you about this dream I had.
I dreamt that Jered Weaver was pitching for the Angels, only his name was Jered Lourdlow and the Angels were wearing their late 1970s uniforms. I forgot who he was pitching against. He was pretty decent, but the other team strung some hits together and we were losing 6-3. Then the telecast showed highlights of Weaver pitching against the Angels when he was in college. Rex identified some guy in the highlight clip as Ramon Santiago; he wore number 11, but the players didn't have their names on their back.
Weaver won the game against the Angels. The last out was a guy that looked a hell of a lot like Steve Finley, but in this game, the Angels were wearing the late 80s uniforms. Finley grounded out to Weaver to end the game.
The only rational extrapolation of the meaning of this dream is: Weaver right now could beat the Angels, but would lost against a major league offense.
(AND AN ACCOUNT OF A BASEBALL-RELATED DREAM)
"Everybody says that — football instinct. I was a punter. It wasn't like I was an actual football player."
-Darin Erstad, quoted in the LA Times
My two-part reaction to the collision:
1. I hope Johnny Estrada is okay and returns to the field soonest.
2. Julio Franco, Brian Jordan, and Eddie Perez can kiss my white ass.
Here's Julio Franco (if Steve Finley is Father Time, Franco is Grandfather Time) on the collision: "I don't mind the hit, I mind the location of the hit. Hitting a guy in the face like that could cause a lot of major damage."
This might be compelling to me if Erstad had, you know, actually hit Estrada in the face.
It's pretty clear from the replay that Erstad's going in low, but it's important to note that his trajectory is pretty much set before Estrada turns around with the ball; it just so happens that Estrada's movement takes him right into Erstad's shoulder. It sure looks to me like Erstad's shoulder hits right below Estrada's face, and it's when Estrada's head/helmet hit the ground when the real pain ensues.
Anyway, it was a clean hit, and it's part of the game, and hopefully Estrada will be in good shape. I think most major league catchers are aware of the risks of blocking the plate; they have to know that on occasion you're gonna get your bell rung. Mike Scioscia was once rendered unconscious blocking the plate, for God's sakes (and held on to the ball).
The real question: after Horacio Ramirez parks a ball in Erstad's ear in the first inning today, does The Wyrd retaliate against his former teammates? And if so, against whom? Maybe Jordan and Franco for mouthing off (Eddie Perez is on the DL right now), or maybe Erstad's best analogue on the Braves (I would say Andruw Jones). Hopefully no one will get hurt, but I have to say that I find 99% of all baseball fights to be pretty amusing. It's always a bunch of guys trying to wrestle, with maybe two or three meaningless punches thrown, and it just looks ridiculous.
***
Anyway, it was a good win last night. But let me tell you about this dream I had.
I dreamt that Jered Weaver was pitching for the Angels, only his name was Jered Lourdlow and the Angels were wearing their late 1970s uniforms. I forgot who he was pitching against. He was pretty decent, but the other team strung some hits together and we were losing 6-3. Then the telecast showed highlights of Weaver pitching against the Angels when he was in college. Rex identified some guy in the highlight clip as Ramon Santiago; he wore number 11, but the players didn't have their names on their back.
Weaver won the game against the Angels. The last out was a guy that looked a hell of a lot like Steve Finley, but in this game, the Angels were wearing the late 80s uniforms. Finley grounded out to Weaver to end the game.
The only rational extrapolation of the meaning of this dream is: Weaver right now could beat the Angels, but would lost against a major league offense.
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